U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,757 discloses a severing device for cutting definite lengths of rubber and cord to fashion tires from a laminate of the materials. The device utilizes a pair of knives mounted to pierce a tire-building laminate and tear the laminate in opposite directions following the line of the tire cord in the laminate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,388 discloses a device for severing thermoplastic film webs in the manufacture of vacuum skin packages. That device includes a chain-driven pair of knives which cooperate to make initial and final cuts to sever a web. The web to be severed is not moved out of its plane of transport prior to severing and must not have elements of support or transport in the path of severing.